Device for automatically and periodically spraying pressurized fluid

ABSTRACT

A spraying device comprising a movable, heat-responsive element whose dimension changes with change in temperature and is movable to actuate a valve for sealing a passage through which a pressurized fluid is sprayed from a container into the atmosphere. The element is cooled by gasification of the fluid and warmed by the atmosphere. Thereby, the device automatically and periodically sprays the fluid.

United States Patent 2,993,624 7/ 1961 Crist et al.

3,055,560 9/1962 Meshberg 239/350 X 3,1 17,700 1/1964 Gorman 239/350 X 3,214,061 10/1965 Mills 222/54 3,278,086 10/1966 Clouzeau et al. 239/350 X 3,313,459 4/1967 Mizuquchi 239/350 X 3,360,165 12/1967 lketani 222/54 3,419,189 12/1968 lketani 222/54 Primary Examiner-Lloyd L. King Attorneys-Robert E. Burns and Emmanuel J. Lobato ABSTRACT: A spraying device comprising a movable, heatresponsive element whose dimension changes with change in temperature and is movable to actuate a valve for sealing a passage through which a pressurized fluid is sprayed from a container into the atmosphere. The element is cooled by gasification of the fluid and warmed by the atmosphere. Thereby, the device automatically and periodically sprays the fluid.

PATENTED AUG 3 l97| SHEET 3 0F 5 PATENTED Am: 319?: 3 00 sum 5 or 5 I04 Ill M0 8 DEVICE FOR AUTOMATICALLYAND PERIODICALLY SPRAYING PRESSURIZED FLUID The present invention relates to an improved device for spraying pressurized fluid, particularly to an improved device for automatically and periodically spraying a pressurized solution of material, such as insecticides, disinfectants, aromatices, etc., together with a solvent for the material. In addition, a propellant material, such asliquefiedgas, is contained which are electrically or electromagnetically controlled have been provided. Such devices, however, are very expensive and complicated and hence impractical for commercial usage and operation.

An object of the present invention is to provide a simplified I device for automatically and periodically spraying a pressurized fluid by using a heat-sensitive material-as the actuating means for the device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide animproved device for automatically and periodically spraying a predetermined quantity of a pressurized fluid for the predetermined duration.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an im-' proved device for automatically and periodically spraying the pressurized fluid at exact periodic intervals.

A still further object is to provide an improved device for automatically and periodically sprayingthe pressurized fluid which may be operated by hand, if necessary.

an opening 5. The depending portion 6 is formed, for example,

with a press. A valve 7 for automatically and intermittently spraying, according to this invention, comprises a first valve mechanism 8, a second valve mechanism 9'and a movable, heat-responsive mechanism 10. The first valve mechanism 8 comprises a body member 18 having a cylindrical portion 16 which defines a valve chamber at its lower portion, an outflow passage 17 which is'an axial" "extension of g the valvechamber 15,*a valve head 19, a spring'2 0and a lid member 22 having a narrow opening 21 bored therethrough which is secured to the cylindrical portion 16 at its opened end. The body member 18 has formed peripherally thereon an annular groove -l2 7 into which an annular packing 11 is fitted, a threaded portion 13 and another annular groove 14. The spring 20 within the cylindrical portion 16 continually urges the valve head 19 upwardly against avalve seat 23 to keep this portion of the valve closed. A packing 24 is pressed into an area between a base portion of the body member 18 and the depending portion 6 of the cover member 3. A suction pipe 25 is connected to the cylindrical portion 16 and the lower end of said suction pipe 25 which extends in the container 1 is located adjacent its base.

The second valve mechanism 9 comprises a threaded portion 26 which engages with the threaded portion 13 of the body member 18, an enipty chamber 27 whose inner peripheral wall presses against the packing ll of said body member 18, an annular ridge 28, a valve chamber 30 housing a valve seat'29, and a jet conduit 31 adjacent to the valve seat 29 in communication with the valve chamber 30, a spout 32 communicating with the conduit 31, a body member 35 provided with a retaining ridge 34 for a birnetal 45, an annular stopper groove 33, a jet nozzle36, a-valve head 37 and a sta- The spraying device according to the present invention is characterized by a movable, heat-response element provided therein.

v The movable, heat-responsive element could be a bellows which contains heat-sensitive liquid or gas, a birnetal or other device which has its dimensions change in response to change in temperature. When the pressurized fluid is sprayed from the container, the liquefied gas included in'the fluid as propellant material is gasified, the heat of vaporization or latent heat for gasification of the liquefied gas is consumed, and the temperature of the fluid is lowered, thereby causing the movable, heatresponsive element to cool and shrink. On the'other hand, the temperature of the movable heat-responsive element rises gradually when spraying is stopped and consequently the element expands. The time interval between shrinking and expanding of the element is substantially same provided the atmospheric temperature is constant.

0n the basis of the above-mentioned principle, the device in accordance with the present invention provides a valve mechanism for automatically and periodically spraying the pressurized fluid containing a liquefied gas.

The above-mentioned and other objects of the present in-- vention will become apparent as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of the device according to tionary pushing rod 40 having a fixed disk 39 through which narrow openings 38 bored. The second valve mechanism 9 is engaged with the first valve mechanism 8 by means of threaded portions 13 and 26 and when in use one end of the stationary pushing rod 40 continually urges the valve head 19 downwardly against spring 20 and thus maintains open the outflow passage 17. When not in use, the unit may be stored with said second valve mechanism 9 disengaged from the first valve mechanism 8 by unscrewing threaded portions 13 and 26 from'each other whereby valve head 19 is seated on seat 23. Upon opening of the outflow passage 17, liquid a held in the container 1 under pressure is introduced into the valve chamber 30, but the liquid 0 does not flow to the exterior since the valve head 37 is seated against the valve seat 29 due to the inner pressure of the liquid 0 so as to close the jet conduit 31.

The movable, heat-responsive mechanism 10 comprises a cap body 44' having a ridge 41' opposite the retaining ridge 34 of the body member 35, a ventilating hole 42 and an annular ridge 43 which engages with the annular stopper groove 33, a disc-shaped birnetal 45, an actuator rod 46 and an expansion chamber 47, the actuator rod 46 extending through the jet conduit 31 of the member 35 against the valve head 37. Although the disc-shaped birnetal 45 is supported between the retaining ridge 34 and the ridge 4], the supported area is adapted to permit a slight passage of air so that the birnetal 45 may move instantly upward or downward at the curved area to a predetermined position depending upon the temperature which affects the birnetal 45. This birnetal 45 has a characteristic such that the birnetal is kept curved toward the higher expansion side at ambient temperature in the place where the bient temperature while it is reversed to the higher expansion side.

In the valve illustrated in FIG. 1, air enters the ventilating hole 42 in the upper surface of the cap body 44 of the movable, heat-responsive mechanism 10 and wanns the bimetal 45 which is reversed at once when it reaches predeterminedtemperature and at the same time pushes the actuator rod 46 downwardly. This descent moves the valve head 37 away from the valve seat 29 and pushes the valve head body 37 against the fixed disc 39. The liquid which has already filled the valve chamber 30 is introduced in a liquid state through the jet conduit 31 and the jet nozzle 36, from which the liquid 0 is spraye while a small portion of the liquid a is supplied through a narrow clearance on the upper side of the jet conduit 31 to the expansion chamber 47 where a small quantity is discharged through the portion which supports the bimetal and the ventilating hole 42 to the exterior. Consequently, when the small quantity of liquid a enters again in a gasified form, the bimetal 45 is cooled by consumption of the latent heat due to gasification of the liquid a, whereby the bimetal 45 is restored to the initial state. Consequently, the force actuator rod 46 is relieved and the rod is urged upwardly together with the valve head 37 by the inner pressure due to the liquid a. As aresult, the jet conduit 31 is closed and liquid a fills the valve chamber 30 again substantially in a liquid state through the narrow opening 38. It should be noted here that a single dose to be sprayed is limited to the quantity which has filled the valve chamber 30 since the narrow openings 38 of the fixed disc 39 are closed by the valve head 37 at the moment of spraying, i.e., a single dose to be sprayed is in proportion to the capacity of the valve chamber 30. Thus, a predetermined quantity is sprayed. Such an operation of reversing the bimetal 45 by utilizing the ambient temperature and the consumption of the latent heat for gasification of the liquid held under pressure in the container makes possible repeated spraying automatically.

FIGS. 2-6 illustrate modes of supporting the movable,

heat-responsive bimetal. The conventional mechanism for supporting a disc-shaped bimetal has been disadvantageous in that slight misalignment of the bimetal or small variation in its size may result in an accidental reversing movement of the bimetal depending upon the clamping forces exerted on its periphery and therefore it is almost impossible to obtain a uniform finished product. Such a problem becomes more serious because the valve mechanism of this type is extremely small. According to this invention, a bimetal 130 has at least three projecting lips 132 on the periphery thereof which are circumferentially equally spaced from the adjacent lips and supported by the corresponding holder members 135 in such a manner that a maximum stroke length d of the bimetal may be obtained and hence a uniform product may be assembled.

A modified mechanism illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 is of an arrangement such that the bimetal is directly supported by supporting projections 134 on the holder member 135. The supporting projections 134 replace the projecting lips 132 of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

Another modified mechanism illustrated in FIG. 6 is of an arrangement in whichthe holder member 135 is provided withan annular groove 136 in which the bimetal is supported by three or more supporting members 137 disposed on the periphery thereof. Alternatively, either an upper member or a lower member of the supporting projections 134, shown in FIG. 5, or of the supporting members 137, shown in H6. 6, may be replaced by a supporting ring disposed along the peripheral inside wall of the expansion chamber. The supporting ring may be formed detachable from the peripheral inside wall of the expansion chamber.

FIG. 7 illustrates a valve mechanism having all of the features described above, wherein the valve head 88 is moved downwardly by the action of the stopper member 93 and thereby the valve member 88a is opened so that the liquid is sprayed out through the valve chamber 86, the ventilating hole 92, the opening 96, the valve chamber 98, the ventilating hole 103, the spout 105 and finally the jet nozzle 106. The stopper member 93 is restricted with respect to the range of its movement by the annular groove 94 of the trunk 83 and acts to switch the valve mechanism from the operative condition to the nonoperative condition. The period of operation may be regulated by delaying thermal transmission to the bimetal I04 bymeans of spongy body S. The spongy body 5 is composed of a permeable, heat-insulating material which effectively controls the spraying period by absorbing heat from the surrounding atmosphere that would otherwise be directly applied to the bimetal 104. The bimetal 104 has projecting lips 150 on the periphery thereof and is supported within the expansion chamber between the cap member and the shoulder 107 in a manner such that the bimetal may operate most effectively. Thecentral projection 111 is adapted for carrying out repeated spraying manually by applying manual pressure on the cap member 1 10. Both manually repeated spray and automatically intermittent spray are possible with this embodiment. Gas which has cooled the bimetal 104 passes through the spongy body S and thereafter is discharged from the discharge hole 109. Discharge hole 109 is disposed parallel to the jet nozzle 106 so that, in case of manual spray, the hand of the user is not exposed to the gas.

The valve mechanism for automatically and intermittently spraying, in accordance with this invention, assures a uniform quantity of spraying even if there is some variation in the operation of the bimetal since a predetermined quantity of liquid is always sprayed V. In addition, the valve mechanism substantially prevents substantially the fluid to be sprayed fromsticking to the inside of the device due to fractionation and separation of the fluid since a large percentage of the fluid is introduced at once to the position of the jet nozzle while in a liquid state. Also, the operation of the movable, heat-responsive elementis greatly improved due to optimum use of the cooling effect caused by the consumption of the latent heat for gasification of the fluid, and operation is assured even in a cold district byheating the element with a battery. Furthermore, the valve mechanism according to the present invention is advantageous in that a button is provided for manual operation which permits effective spraying whenever and wherever it is desired.

While the invention has been described in conjunction with certain embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

l. A device connectable to a source of pressurized fluid for automatically and periodically spraying the pressurized fluid into the atmosphere comprising: means defining a valve chamber connectable to a source of pressurized fluid during use of the device; means defining an expansion chamber vented to the atmosphere disposed downstream from said valve chamber; means defining a restricted passageway providing fluid communication between said valve chamber and said expansion chamber; a jet nozzle in fluid communication with said restricted passageway for spraying a portion of the pressurized fluid flowing through said restricted passageway into the atmosphere; valve means disposed within said valve chamber for opening and closing fluid communication between said valve chamber and said restricted passageway; movable, heat-responsive means mounted within said expansion chamber moveable to a first position when the prevailing temperature within said expansion chamber rises above a preselected temperature to effect opening of said valve means and movable to a second position whenever the prevailing temperature within said expansion chamber falls a predetermined amount below said preselected temperature to effect closing of said valve means; and heat-insulating means disposed within said expansion chamber cooperative with said movable, heat-responsive means for delaying the opening of said valve means by absorbing heat from the atmosphere which would otherwise be directly applied to said movable, heat-responsive means.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said heat-insulating means comprises a permeable spongy material.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein said expansion chamber is provided with at least three supporting members l V disposed in circumferentially spaced-apart relationship on the periphery thereof; and wherein said movable, heat-responsive means comprises a disc-shaped bimetal connected to said supporting members. 1

4. In a device for automatically and periodically spraying a pressurized fluid comprising valve means for opening and closing communication between a source of pressurized fluid and a jet nozzle for spraying said pressurized fluid into the atmosphere; movable, heat-responsive means for automatically and periodically actuating said valve means in accordance with the surrounding temperature; and means defining an ex- 

1. A device connectable to a source of pressurized fluid for automatically and periodically spraying the pressurized fluid into the atmosphere comprising: means defining a valve chamber connectable to a source of pressurized fluid during use of the device; means defining an expansion chamber vented to the atmosphere disposed downstream from said valve chamber; means defining a restricted passageway providing fluid communication between said valve chamber and said expansion chamber; a jet nozzle in fluid communication with said restricted passageway for spraying a portion of the pressurized fluid flowing through said restricted passageway into the atmosphere; valve means disposed within said valve chamber for opening and closing fluid communication between said valve chamber and said restricted passageway; movable, heat-responsive means mounted within said expansion chamber moveable to a first position when the prevailing temperature within said expansion chamber rises above a preselected temperature to effect opening of said valve means and movable to a second position whenever the prevailing temperature within said expansion chamber falls a predetermined amount below said preselected temperature to effect closing of said valve means; and heat-insulating means disposed within said expansion chamber cooperative with said movable, heat-responsive means for delaying the opening of said valve means by absorbing heat from the atmosphere which would otherwise be directly applied to said movable, heat-responsive means.
 2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said heat-insulating means comprises a permeable spongy material.
 3. A device according to claim 1, wherein said expansion chamber is provided with at least three supporting members disposed in circumferentially spaced-apart relationship on the periphery thereof; and wherein said movable, heat-responsive means comprises a disc-shaped bimetal connected to said supporting members.
 4. In a device for automatically and periodically spraying a pressurized fluid comprising valve means for opening and closing communication between a source of pressurized fluid and a jet nozzle for spraying said pressurized fluid into the atmosphere; movable, heat-responsive means for automatically and periodically actuating said valve means in accordance with the surrounding temperature; and means defining an expansion chamber connected to said source and containing said movable, heat-responsive means therewithin, an improvement for controlling the actuation of said movable, heat-responsive means comprising permeable heat-insulating means disposed within said expansion chamber.
 5. An improvement as claimed in claim 4, wherein said permeable heat-insulating means comprises a spongy body. 